Navy's stern action

Navy's stern action

From Media Indonesia

This newspaper carried a report on Jan. 29, 2003 under the title of Indonesian navy sinks four vessels for illegal fishing. What the navy has done deserves our support for several reasons.

First, law enforcement requires firmness and courage in action as otherwise evil practices such as corruption, collusion, nepotism, piracy and blackmailing will continue to flourish.

Second, firm action as demonstrated by the Navy will dismiss as untrue the allegations that our security agencies have been collaborating with those looting our marine wealth. (Remember that the court has set free seven vessels originally detained because of illegal sand quarrying. Also remember that some Indonesian fishing vessels were burned by the Australians when they were caught illegally entering Australian waters.)

In the year 2001 alone illegal sand quarrying incurred losses to the state of US$3 billion. In the same year, the losses that the state had to sustain owing to illegal fishing and illegal logging stood at $4 billion and $2.5 billion respectively. Imagine the losses if they are sustained over the next decade or two?

In this context, all relevant government agencies must do their best to utilize our marine resources to help lift the country out of this protracted economic crisis.

FX INDRIATNO, Bekasi, West Java